M.Abbas Hassan
In a blitzkrieg visit to Pakistan early this year, Ms. Alice Wells, the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs left no stones unturned to reflect her dismay over the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). She ensured that her words were heard in the right quarters of the country and get quoted in the mainstream media. Instead of offering a solid evidence based critique she rested her case on the sanctions imposed by World Bank on some Chinese companies. The same companies have completed multiple infrastructure programs across the globe and are known for their high-end and high-performance delivery. Same corporations are driving the CPEC project through engineering excellence. As an alternate, Ambassador Wells offered Pakistan to work closely with some large US conglomerates that are interested in working with Pakistan. In short, Ms. Wells was of the view that American companies are far superior and corruption free. This claim by a country that has a very tainted history with Pakistan is clearly an indication that Americans have not learnt from their mistakes in the past.
To further strengthen the Pakistani perspective, it is necessary to analyze the performance of the American companies pointed out by Ms. Wells. Exxon Mobil is one of the largest publicly traded international oil and gas companies in the world. But at the same time, it has been subject to a number of controversies. Since 2000, the company has been fined for approximately 400 times on account of various violations. Some of the violations include; environmental violation, False Claims Act and related, economic sanction violation, workplace safety or health violation, federal leasing royalty violation, wage and hour violation, labour relations violation, railroad safety violation, offshore drilling violation and tobacco litigation. The estimated fine paid by the company stands at One Billion Five Hundred Seventy Million Five Hundred Ninety-Five Thousand Five Hundred Seventy-Seven dollars.
Moving to Chevron Corporation; it is an American multi-national energy corporation. Just like Exxon Mobil, the company has had a fair share of controversies under its belt. Since 2000, the company has been penalized for 660 times. This is approximately equal to two violations per month over the period of almost 20 years. Some of the key violations committed by Chevron include; environmental violation, False Claims Act and related, tax violations, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, employment discrimination, workplace safety or health violation, wage and hour violation, offshore drilling violation, economic sanction violation and federal leasing royalty violation. The estimated monetary penalty paid by the company stands at Nine Hundred Three Million Four Hundred Nine Thousand Seven Hundred Eight dollars.
It is pertinent to note that Ambassador Wells was also gravely concerned about the damages to the Pakistani environment that the Chinese companies may cause and that the damage would be irreparable. It is true that no project is a flawless project. Every project has a room for improvement and the partners learn from mutual mistakes. This might also be the case for the CPEC. Nonetheless, Chinese and Pakistanis have shared a wonderful working relationship where the Chinese have always stood up and helped Pakistanis in the hour of need. They have never been involved in any arm twisting neither have they imposed themselves on the Pakistanis. CPEC was the need of the hour as no country was willing to invest in Pakistan and China responded by launching a magnum opus project. Not only CPEC is important for Pakistan but it will also set the puzzles in the right place for the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The projects will not only strengthen regional connectivity but would also create economic integration among the partner countries. This is one of the key reasons why the West has launched a malicious campaign against CPEC and BRI.
Criticism is good and healthy in most of the cases. This is not true in the case of Ms. Wells. Before launching an attack on China, she should have analyzed the states of the so-called alternate option she proposed to Pakistan. The American companies whether they are in engineering services or in financial services have a long history of gross violations. So instead of showing the American dream to Pakistan, the US should realize that CPEC is now a reality and an actual hope for Pakistan. Now with the project entering into the next phase, Pakistan is expecting a new wave of industrialization. This would not only give the economy a much needed space but would also create employment opportunities for the masses. Once this is done, the US-backed criticism on CPEC would not only die down but would strengthen the China- Pakistan friendship that has not only stood the test of time but also has been proven on multiple occasions.
Courtesy: JIIS
